The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

CHAP. II. How poysons being small in quantity, may by their only touch cause so great alterations.

IT seemeth strange to many, how it may come to passe, that poyson, ta∣ken or admitted in a small quantity, may almost in a moment produce so pernicious effects over all the body, and all the parts, faculties, and actions, so that being admitted but in a little quantity, it swels up the body into a great bignesse. Neither ought it to seeme lesse strange, how Anridotes and Counter-poysons, which are opposed to poyson, can so suddenly breake and weaken the great and pernicious effects thereof, being it is not likely that so small a particle of poyson or Antidote can divide it selfe into so many, and so far severed particles of our body. There are some (saith Galen) who thinke that * 1.1 somethings by touch onely, by the power of their quality, may alter those things which are next to them, and that this appeares plainly in the sea Torpedo, as that which hath so powerfull a quality, that it can send it alongst the fishers rod to the hand, and so make it become torpide or numbe. But on the contrary, Philosophers teach, that accidents, such as qualities are, cannot without their subjects remove and diffuse themselves into other subjects. Therefore Galens other answer is more agree∣able to reason, that so many and great affects of poysons and remedies arise either from a certaine spirit or •…•…le huminity; not truly, for that this spirit and subtle hu∣midity may be dispersed over the whole body and all the parts thereof which it af∣fects,

but that little, which is entred the body, as cast in by the stroake of a Spider, * 1.2 or the sting of a Scorpion, infects and corrupts all the next parts by contagion with the like quality, these others that are next to them, untill from an exceeding small portion of the bloud, if the stroake shall light into the veines, it shall spread over the whole masse of bloud; or of phlegme, if the poyson shall chance to come to the stomacke, and so the force thereof shall bee propagated and diffused over all the hu∣mours and bowels. The doubt of Antidotes is lesse, for these being taken in grea∣ter quantity, when they shal come into the stomack, warmed by the heat of the place, they become hot, & send forth vapours, which suddenly diffused over the body by the subtlety of their substance, doe by their contrary forces dull and weaken the ma∣lignity of the poyson. Wherefore you may often see when as Antidotes are given in lesse quantity than is fit, that they are lesse prevalent, neither doe they answer to our expectation in overcomming the malignity of the poyson; so that it must necessari∣ly follow that these must not onely in qualities, but also in quantity bee superiour to poysons.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cap. 5. lib 6. de locis affect.
• * 1.2

  The true reason of the wondrous effects of poy∣sons.